Òwú. Fil. Faden. Thread.
The intertwined history of textiles, trade and colonial heritage

“Every generation confronts the task of choosing its past.”

(Saidya Hartman, Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route)

Introduction

The expansive quilt Òwú. Fil. Thread. Thread. is a work of art and at the same time a research method - it examines connections and creates new relationships; it experiments with sewing together history and memories.

The work connects the cities of Vorarlberg, Lagos, St. Gallen, Vienna and Dakar. It brings together explorations of the history of the interweaving of textiles, trade and terror. The works explore the relationship of fabric to power, community and belonging. Their materials - cotton, linen as well as damask and embroidery - bear witness to the enduring legacy of colonialism. They follow the threads of resistance, violence and embodied knowledge, and attempt to forge new relationships.

The artists experiment with different techniques of textile production: they embroider, weave, punch, crochet, dye - and search for ways to create new connections - within and beyond the colonial legacy.

Participating artists

Anette Baldauf, Milou Gabriel, Sasha Huber, Janine Jembere, Susanna Delali Nuwordu, Abiona Esther Ojo, Anabel Rodriguez, Jumoke Sanwo, Mariama Sow, Katharina Weingartner.